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42 dead in Pakistan suicide blast

42 Pakistani soldiers have been killed in a suicide bomb blast at an army training ground in northwestern Pakistan.

The bombing took place in the town of Dargai, in an area where recruits had gathered for training.

A Pakistan security official said a second bomber's explosives had not gone off and he was being hunted not far from the town after escaping on a motorcycle.

Dargai, 130km northwest of the capital Islamabad, is a stronghold of a local militant group which backs the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The blast came nine days after security forces attacked a madrassa in the nearby tribal area of Bajaur, killing 80 people. It is thought that the two incidents may be linked.